The People of Forever Are Not Afraid
by Evey Claire
Summary: Isabella Swan starts off her summer with a parent enforced vacation to Italy to "see the world and get some sunshine." Except what happens when she picks the wrong tour? Set after Twilight and before New Moon, Edward/Bella, Aro/Bella
1. On the Doorstep

**Hey ya'll! So far all I have written is Morganville fics and that isn't because I'm only into one fandom, it because I haven't been enamored enough with any other characters besides Amelie and Myrnin to set out on the quest to delve into their characters and make something that is my own out of it….. buuuuuuut, while I was extremely bored a few days ago I revisited the Twilight fandom (I was completely obsessed with these books in sixth grade, but haven't touched them since) and realized that I totally loved the character Aro. So this is me writing about him and the Volturi and stuff… Also, it's been awhile since I read the books so sorry for any inconsistencies…..**

**Oh and this is set pre New Moon so Bella is aware of vampires and totally in love with Edward, but hasn't ever met Aro. Although she did hear briefly of him when she saw the painting of the Volturi in Carlisle's office… So yep. Enjoy. **

Shit. Those were most definitely vampires. And not the vegetarian "Fish are friends, not food" type. More like the, glowing red eyes, bloodthirsty grins, and insatiable thirst kind. And all dressed in black and crimson to top the whole cliché right off. Oh shit, shit, shit.

~FLASHBACK (OOOH, WEEEE, OOOH!)*~

I stared at my father in shock. "I'm going where?" I repeated, looking utterly confused. I must have misheard him.

"Italy?" he said as if it were a question and scratched his head looking away.

"Why?" I asked, a bit angry now. Going to Italy, for an entire six weeks meant six very long weeks away from Edward, in another _country. _

" I dunno Bells, you're mother called and said she felt the uh, "pull," as she put it, to go there… something about you two needing to see the greatest pieces of art and Venice before it sinks." He trailed off, not quite sure what to say, "But hey, you should be happy, I've heard it's a pretty great place with all the pasta and sunflowers and you really could use some sun. You've gotten quite pale up here." Charlie half-smiled and reached out to pat my shoulder, "It'll be good for you, Bells."

I just looked down and nodded. The summer that I was supposed to spend entirely with Edward was now going to be dominated by a trip of me getting dragged around to a million museums with my mom constantly asking, "And how does this one make you feel?" Ick. Not exactly what I would call a vacation; I wasn't exactly the stare-at-the-same-piece-of-artwork-for-hours type.

It didn't really matter though how much I didn't want to go, my mom had already sent me the tickets and a very strict packing list along with a little card that said this was my early birthday gift. Congrats to me.

Edward, to my great annoyance, was happy that I was getting a trip away from the dreary town of Forks. It seemed as though him and my father were in the same mindset of it'd be good for me to get out and see the world a bit. And get some sun. Edward liked to tease me that if I spent any more time inside I was going to be as pale as a vampire.

Well, he _was _happy until he saw where exactly I was going.

"Volterra?" he asked looking at me with an unreadable expression. I shrugged.

"My mom planned the trip, not me." His brow furrowed. "What?" I asked. He had gone from happy to worried in point three seconds.

"It's just, there's nothing to see in Volterra. It's boring and there aren't any art museums there anyways."

I looked at him in confusion, "Like I said my mom planned it so, it's what she wanted. I didn't get a say and wait, have you been there?" He looked away and shook his head, "No, but-"

"But nothing! How can you not like a place you haven't even been to? What do you have against me going there?"

He turned to look at me suddenly, a desperate expression flashing across his eyes before he quickly hid it behind a mask of nonchalant-ness. I frowned. "Bella just promise me one thing."

"What?" I asked, thoroughly confused now.

"Don't go to the castle. No matter what." Edward said this with a sort of finality that gave the impression of grave consequences if I did.

"Edward, what's wrong? Why can't I go to the castle?"

"Bella-"

"No! Tell me! What's in the castle?"

"Bella! Just promise me!"

"No, just tell me!" I crossed my arms and looked at him defiantly. He gave me a pained looked.

"I can't tell you," he began, stopping when he saw my expression and subsequent eye roll, "No, really I can't. You just have to trust me, Bella. Please don't go near the castle, please." His voice was a whisper now. I just nodded, determined to bring the subject up later.

I did, three times, but he would say no more, only to keep telling me to listen to him, to trust him, and promise to never go there. I got more and more annoyed each time.

And of course I was never a good listener.

~END OF FLASHBACK~

It really kind of surprised me that it never even crossed my mind that when Edward warned me not to go to the castle that it would be a vampire stronghold. Of course the only thing he would really be afraid of was vampires! Duh! I cannot even believe I missed the most obvious statement of all time.

I had wondered if it was some human-trafficking thing for some Italian mobsters, where they sold drugs and weapons and stuff, (which in a weird way it kind of was,) or thought that maybe there was some crazy religious cult that resided there that made human sacrifices, or even a corrupt government organization that would kidnap me and harvest my body for organs to sell on the black market. Lots of sinister things crossed my mind, but never _vampires._

I also couldn't believe that I had never connected the _Volturi _to _Volterra. _

Major facepalm.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Edward had mentioned them once, explaining how they were the rulers of the vampire world when I had come across the painting of them in Carlisle's study. He also, without great detail and much disgust, mentioned how cruel and sadistic they are. There had been no hiding his dislike. Carlisle had been less extreme, stressing the importance of them keeping the secret and that although he heavily disagreed with their eating habits, they were much more civilized and much less bloodthirsty than some other vampires he had come across.

Right now I was leaning more towards Edward's point of view as I was getting firsthand knowledge of exactly how cruel and terrifying they could be, guessing that their way of luring in innocent tourists to feed on and decimate, fifty at a time, was one of his reason for disgust.

The chaos began to hit full swing around me and my ears were assaulted with the sounds of breaking bones and tearing flesh, the almost invisible blurs of vampires flashing around me, the rusty, salt smell of blood hanging in the air.

Renee was going to some modern art gallery, I swear it was probably the hundredth one since we got here three weeks ago, and I had faked a headache and stomach cramps in order to get out going this time, instead choosing to wander the rather beautiful, and of course sunny, streets of Volterra, sipping an expresso, the promise I had made to Edward floating about in my mind.

In the end I think it was his warning that made me want to go there so badly. If he hadn't mentioned the castle it probably would never have crossed my mind to go there and I would have left for Florence that night, entirely unharmed.

But of course that wasn't going to happen, I was never the complacent type, willing to listen to other's wishes for me. But I trusted Edward and I should have listened, I should have listened.

Edward had referred to me as danger magnet in the past. I was beginning to think that it was less drawn to me and more I to it.

Too late now.

I turned frantically about, visions of James' teeth sinking into my wrist swimming before my eyes, ghost pains flashing across my scar. My breathing became labored and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, so hard and fast that I felt like it might burst at any second. Black spots joined the vision that clouded my eyesight and panic settled in. I could barely see and I couldn't breathe. This had only happened to me once before, but I remembered the tightness and wild fear of a panic attack acutely. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't breathe. The Cullens weren't going to save me this time.

My thoughts turned to my mother and thank god that I didn't bring her with me. She would be safe, distraught when I never returned, but safe.

I threw my hands over my eyes and my hearing cut out on cue as if my brain knew that hearing the terrified screams only made me feel even more afraid. It was eerily silent now, the only sound was my own hammering heart. _Thump, thump, thump. _It continued to race on at a mile a minute. The world took on a rather cinematic slow motion view around me. I felt helpless, like in those awful dreams where you're running so hard, trying so hard to move faster and faster, but you just can't, it's impossible, you're legs turn to lead and you fall. I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face, the salt stinging my skin. I may not have been able to hear, or think really, but I could still _feel _the screams around me, the vibrations of compressed air crashing against my skin, increasing the temp of my heart.

The once white marble room now looked like a scene straight out of the goriest horror movie ever. Blood and… _parts_ covering the walls. Blood, blood, blood, blood flying through the air, blood, blood, blood, blood everywhere. These images were never leaving my head, I slammed my eyes shut yet still they came, a dozen glorious gods drenched in the _blood, _flying about, laughing, reveling. God, they were messy.

I was still frozen, curled up in a ball on the floor, my head hunched over my knees. Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop. I started rocking.

My courage was I gone, I had no chance, I was so, so _afraid, _and there was so much blood. I could feel it _on _me, soaking into my jeans. I was going to be sick.

_Edward, Edward, Edward, EdwardEdwardEdwardEdwardEdward, EDWARD, EDWARD, EDWARDedwardedwardedwardedwardedwardedward…._

It ran through my head like a chant, like a prayer.

_I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. Forgive me. _

Something that felt like a million spiders crawling up my back got past my self-created sensory deprivation, turning my skin to ice. Someone had finally noticed me. I slowly straightened out of my huddle and spun around, still on my knees and met the red eyes of my soon to be murderer.

I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't hear, couldn't think, couldn't _breathe._ I was choking on air.

I blinked and he was in front of me, smiling down at me in the most disturbing fashion, his dark blonde hair falling slightly into his eyes, blood already dripping from his mouth. He wasn't one of the Ancients from the painting, of that I was sure, so he must be one of guard. Not that it really mattered either way.

His gaze slid to my neck and the throbbing vein there, his smiled widening and he breathed in deeply, clearly enjoying this. I shuddered, I could practically feel him locking on the precise spot where my blood would flow the thickest and see his mind debating if he should take his time and enjoy it or drain me quickly and move on to his next victim.

Decision made, he suddenly reached forward, hands reaching to yank my head to the side and I closed my eyes as tight as I possibly could, waiting for the pain and for the following blackness.

_Edward, I love you. _

_Edward._

In that moment of a fraction of a second before his glittering teeth pierced my neck I felt something inside me snap, like a pulse of energy flowing out from my heart and reaching all the way into my fingertips and toes.

The pain never came.

**So uh there's chapter one! YAY! As always reviews are highly welcome and don't you dare favorite/follow/even read this without reviewing it! Pretty please now, because I swear on my honor that I will not update until I get at least seven reviews. Which really is barely any…. So I'll just pretend like you'll review (because I know how much you all like it when someone reviews your stories) and thank you profusely in advance.**

**Bonus Round: If I get ten reviews in the next week and a half, so by say…. Thanksgiving, (that's the 28 of November for all you non-Americans) I'll throw all your ten names into a bucket and randomly draw one out to be the winner that gets to request a oneshot! (It doesn't have to be Twilight, just anything I've read/seen) So review darlings!**

**Blood and chocolate, **

**Evey Claire **

*That was reference to the Doctor Who theme song for those of you who were painfully confused.


	2. A Warm Welcome

**So uh Chapter two! Yay! Sorry that it took me so long to update….. I get rather sidetracked with this not so fairy-tale-like thing called life….. I'm on break now though and hopefully more will be coming if I get the inspiration. Well anyways, I hope you guys are liking this story! And I've gotten quite a lot of good feedback so thanks for that and hope you all enjoy this next bit! Keep on reviewing! **

A pulse of air brushed across my skin.

Why hadn't he killed me yet?

I had seen the pulsating hunger in his eyes, had felt his breath on my neck, his fingers digging so tightly into my skin that they were sure to leave bruises.

Was he playing a game?

I knew vampires could get seriously sick and twisted sometimes, this mainly due to their view that people were no better than animals, our wild emotions of fear and screams for mercy doing nothing but egging them on. They simply relished in their power and superior strength. God, it was awful.

My heart, which had never stopped its frantic pace, sped up even more. I felt the urge to open my eyes and see what was happening, but fear that he was still directly in front of me, looking down with that disturbing, leering grin that hid sharp, venom coated teeth kept them shut.

I stayed that way for what felt like hours, bent slightly forward over my knees, neck twisted to the side, hands pressing into the cold, unyielding marble, not daring to move in the slightest lest I call attention to myself. I focused on my breathing while I did this, trying to take slow, even breaths while letting the spark of energy I had momentarily felt was over me in waves, not allowing myself to give the vampire satisfaction from my squirming, not matter how afraid I might have been. It was a strange, calming feeling focusing on the waves and being so still, and it wasn't until I realized that I had been sitting there for just a little _too _long that I began to panic.

Had Edward somehow showed up and saved me?

Had someone else saved me?

My heart once again picked up as it not only had been a strangely long time, but that the world was eerily silent around me, the screams having died out and the only sound being the blood rushing through my own ears.

"Child."

The voice was soft and elegant and lilting with a light Italian accent that sent shivers down my spine and much, much, _much _too pretty, betraying it as a vampire's.

I slowly opened my eyes.

A row vampires faced me standing as still as the marble statues guarding the benches along the wall, seven of them in total, three of which I had names for. Marcus, Caius, and Aro. They were beautiful, breathtaking really, in their flowing black cloaks and gold pendants that hung from perfectly sculpted necks leading up to chiseled features and bright red eyes, clouded but nevertheless still quite piercing. I gulped, feeling my heart rate pick up as I met the one who had spoken eyes.

Aro.

"Why am I not dead?"

He smiled and clasped his hand together, a small laugh that could have been described as more of a giggle escaping his lips.

"My dear, I believe you are much more capable of explaining that than I am," he said. It sounded less like talking and more like music, music and bells and honey. I gulped again.

"Huh?" I blurted out in the most ineloquent way possible. I cringed at the sound of my voice compared to his. Why did vampires have to be so damn _perfect? _

His smiled widened even more and he laughed again, louder this time, his shoulder moving with the sound. "Ah, the child doesn't even know her strengths! How wonderful!" He turned to his brothers who were a half step behind him and continued to laugh. The one to left, (Caius?), fixed his eyes on me in a glare that was something between hatred and disgust and I quickly averted my gaze, unable to meet his intensity.

Aro turned back around and clapped several times. "Watch, dear girl, and see what you have created!" He took a step forward and I flinched back, sure that he meant to come after me, but he simply reached out with his palm and pressed it against…. air.

I raised my eyebrows and gave him an incredulous look. What kind of game was this supposed to be?

My eyes flickered across the vampires, waiting for the slightest movement, and landed on him. He met my stare and smirked, then suddenly pushed against the air that suddenly wasn't air anymore, but a transparent blue dome that encircled me, pulsating with something that looked like little electric jolts.

"Amazing, is it not? No matter how hard I push, I cannot break it! You, sweet little human, have defeated a vampire's strength, have made yourself… nearly invincible." A strange light glinted in his eyes, something that reminded me of the way a child stares at a coveted toy or a starving man stares at an enticing dinner, yeah that was more accurate. It was something that screamed I want that and I want it now in a quite immature way. Something else told me that what Aro wanted, Aro got.

I gulped again.

"Uh, yeah, so are you going to kill me, because I, uh, well that, wouldn't be…. I know someone who could protect me, well sort of…" I trailed off. Nice job explaining yourself, Bella.

What I had wanted to say was that I knew Carlisle that I was in love with his son that couldn't kill me because the Cullens would be mad, but something held me back. I didn't know much about them, but their names and a few tales of their never ending thirst and immense power that gave them absolute rule. I didn't want Edward, or any of them, to get in some sort of trouble; I knew humans weren't exactly supposed to know about vampires and although I wasn't quite sure about all the details I figured that pissing these guys off wasn't going to end well.

"Protect you?" Aro's glee turned to annoyance and he laughed again, but it was a tight, disturbing sound. He eyes flashed and his demeanor suddenly just, changed, going from casual to exuding power. "Have you any idea what we are, little one?"

"Vampires. Old ones. Powerful ones. The closest thing your kind has to royalty," I said without even thinking and quickly clamped a hand over my mouth. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. I wasn't supposed to know that shishitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit. His eyes instantly narrowed.

"And from where did you get that idea?" It was practically a growl, all the friendliness gone.

"Well, uh, because you live in a castle?" I tried, my voice faltering. They were definitely not buying that.

The blonde, Caius, spoke, "She knows something. Someone sent here her here in an attempt to destroy us."

"No," I blurted out, "No, no, he made me promise not to come here! And I, I didn't listen because I didn't know, I just thought he was being stupid, I never made the connection!" I walked towards them, arms out, begging them to understand.

"Connection?" Aro asked.

"Between the Volturi and Volterra. Which is, yeah I know, really stupid, but I really don't spend all my time thinking about vampire politics stuff! Please, there's no plot or anything, I just wasn't thinking."

"That can easily be attested. Lower your shield, child, and give me your hand. We shall see your… plans. Or lack thereof."

I hadn't really noticed the other vampires before, but suddenly realized that they had moved in loose circle around the little dome of safety I had created, red eyes focused on me, waiting for an attack signal. My heart rate sped up for the thousandth time that day.

"Right, of course… How might I lower my, uh, shield?" I asked, wincing.

"Jane?" Aro called out and a small blonde vampire to the right of me, looked to him.

"Yes, master?"

"If you would… distract… our young guest for a moment." He nodded.

"Yes, master," she answered, a rather creepy smile sliding across her face. I shivered. She looked to me and her eyes seemed to glow, "This may hurt a bit."

I braced myself for the pain, closing my eyes shut, waiting.

But once again nothing…I reopened my eyes.

"Jane?" Aro asked. The girl looked absolutely furious and glared even harder, panic in her eyes.

"Master, it's not… it's not working." She looked afraid to meet his eyes.

"What could this mean, what could mean?" Aro asked no one in particular as he began pacing, hand pressed together, a dark look in his eyes. The room stayed silent. "Perhaps…Yes, that might be it." His voice was softer now, a barely audible whisper. "A mental shield as well as a physical one!"

"Dear girl, I need you to focus. Close your eyes, feel the protection you have created, realize it is no longer necessary, you are safe here. There is no threat." His words poured from his lips like honeyed liquid in such a melodic fashion that I could not help, but believe him, nodding my head as I followed his orders.

I could feel it, the shield, feel the energy of it, the flexibility of it. Gently I tugged at it, willing it to come back to be, to reside back in its place just beneath my skin.

"Perfect." I opened my eyes to meet his red ones. Wow, they were gorgeous, flawless rubies that drew me in, I could have stood there all day stared at those eyes and listened to his sliver tongue.

Could have, except for the fact that I suddenly realized how much effort it took to hold that shield up and then I was falling, collapsing to the floor.

Strong, cold arms caught me before my head hit the ground, pulling me into an upright position and holding me secure.

My vision began to darken around the edges with little sparks of stars dancing across that I desperately tried to blink back to no avail. Soft hands brushed against the skin of my cheeks, drawing my half-blind gaze to meet a burning red one.

"Rest, little one. For now you will find no harm here," a voice like honeyed liquor spoke into my ear.

I blinked again, still trying to clear my hazy sight and shook my head, trying to stay awake, but I was suddenly so, so tired.

"Shh," the voice spoke again and I nodded once before entirely collapsing against the cold, strong embrace and falling into oblivion.

**THE END! Of this chapter anyway! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Pretty please? I have gotten more follows and favorites than reviews which makes my heart oh so sad! I would love your opinion so give it to me (or I might just send Aro after you to eat you in your sleep! :DD)**

**Peace, love, and tacos,**

**Evey Claire**


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